I Swear the World Was Breaking
by WhatWasOnceSilver
Summary: Daltonverse. Julian is a doctor, and Logan is a patient with amnesia. AU Jogan


**Title:** I Swear the World Was Breaking

**Author:** Margaret/WhatWasOnceSilver/whatwasoncesilver

**Rating:** K+

**Word Count:** 5,199

**Pairing:** Julian Larson and Logan Wright from CP Coulter's _Dalton_

**Summary:** Julian is a doctor, and Logan is a patient with amnesia. AU Jogan

**Warnings:** Slash, mild swearing, future!fic, alternate universe, medical inaccuracies

**Author's Note:** Following this prompt:

Logan's a patient who got amnesia in a car accident after he woke up from a short coma. Julian has to take care of his injuries because he only has two people in his life, Derek and someone else. Derek's on the other side of the world, so Logan and Julian spark up a friendship. [I've cut it off there so as not to include spoilers.]

* * *

The first time Logan Wright meets Julian Larson, a nurse is trying to kill him.

The doctor opens the door relatively slowly, looking down at a clipboard as he tucks a pen behind his ear, pushing the white plastic open absently. Logan would have taken this time to notice that the doctor is remarkably handsome, but a blonde psychopath is jabbing a gleaming needle into his arm and telling him it's supposed to _help_ him and never hit a woman never hit a woman _never hit a woman_.

"That'll be great, Martha – thanks so much."

The nurse glances up to see the brunet doctor giving her a small smile. Pressing her mouth into a thin line, she nods curtly, sets the needle down on a tray, and flounces away with her blonde curls bouncing.

"So."

Logan glances up to see the doctor flipping through the pages on his clipboard. "John Wright, aged twenty-nine, correct?"

"It's Logan."

Julian glances up. "Logan." He pulls up a chair so he can sit in front of him. "My name is Julian Larson, and I'll be taking care of you until you're discharged from the hospital. Tell me – can you remember anything about your accident?"

"No." He pauses for a second. "I'm told it was a car crash?"

"A drunk driver hit you on the freeway." He stops, seeming to wait for a reaction.

"Ouch," Logan replies in a monotone.

Julian's eyebrow and the corner of his mouth rise, and then he's pulling his stethoscope over his head and blowing on it so it's not so cold. "I'm just going to run some tests on you – check out your nose and throat, your reaction time. Stuff like that."

Logan nods.

"So tell me; what's the last thing you remember?"

"Aren't you supposed to be writing this down?"

"A nurse will ask you more specific questions later. I just want to get the basic gist of the situation. Breathe in."

Logan takes a breath and exhales. "Uh…I went to a soccer game with Derek…I remember being twenty-five, so I guess that was four years ago."

"Breathe in again." Logan breathes, and Julian nods. "Who's Derek?"

"A friend."

"Any idea where he might be?"

"He's an athlete – Derek Seigerson? – so he could be anywhere."

Julian raises an eyebrow. "Derek Seigerson? He's playing in New Zealand."

Logan raises an eyebrow. "You follow sports?"

"I used to date one of his teammates. I like to see how they're doing from time to time." There's a brief moment of silence while Julian sticks an instrument of Satan down Logan's throat. "What about family?"

"I'm an only child. My parents are dead."

"And friends?"

"I was really only close to Derek. I might have a boyfriend, I guess – but if he was worth anything he would've shown up by now, right?"

Julian shrugs and hits his knee with a hammer. Logan winces. "So what's up with my brain, doc?"

Julian glances up. "You're suffering from retrograde amnesia, if that's what you mean."

"Well isn't that lovely." Julian chuckles and then looks guilty about it. Logan cracks a smile.

The doctor stands and rubs his neck. "Well, you seem to be doing as well as anyone in your condition could. Some cuts and scrapes, of course, but nothing that won't heal soon." Logan doesn't say anything. Julian rubs the back of his neck again and abruptly changes course. "Do you want us to call anyone for you?"

"Nah. I'll call Derek later; I'm not quite up to it just yet."

"And everyone else?"

"Not worth it."

Julian's forehead furrows. "If you don't want us to contact anyone, I'm not sure you should be moving out of the hospital so soon."

"'S okay. I'll just stay in the recovery wing for a little while like that nurse person was telling me about."

Julian smiles. "Seems like that could work." Logan smiles back, and hey – they might actually become friends.

…

"No, Derek, I – no, I'm _fine_ – yes, Mother, I've been taking my vitamins and everything. I've been a very good boy, so _stop_ _worrying_. No, Derek – Derek – _Derek_. If you fly all the way over here from New Zealand in the middle of your tournament I will personally kick your ass and put you back on your plane so fast it will make your head spin even faster than it would have from the initial ass-kicking."

Julian, who is going through some papers, gives an unprofessional snort and Logan glances at him, eyebrows raised. Julian starts whistling.

"No, Derek. No. Yes. No. I'm fine. No seriously. No – _stop _it. My God, you're like a weasel mother."

Julian glances up as he hears shouting from the phone – something about "don't you lecture me about rodents you son of a meerkat!"

Julian wisely refrains from mentioning that weasels are, in fact, mustelids, and not rodents.

Logan holds the phone away from his ear. "That's very offensive to meerkats, you know," he calls into the phone. "Timon is a delightful character; you can't just go around insulting his entire species. What would Casey say?"

Julian wisely refrains from mentioning that there are three different species of meerkats.

There's more shouting for a bit, and then Logan puts the phone back to his ear and sighs. "I'm okay, all right? You have nothing to worry about – I'm in very good hands."

Julian gives a slight cough and reddens.

"No – no seriously. Now I want you to stop talking and go rejoin your team, okay? They're depending on you to win this thing, and I don't want some international award-winning coach mad at me for banning one of his star players to the sidelines due to his tardiness."

There's a slight pause, and then Logan smiles. "I promise. And Derek? Good luck."

…

There's something about Julian. He's got a sort of…_air_ about him that just pulses through when he works with patients – a degree of confidence that everything will be okay even if all signs point to the worst end. The power of compassion seems to be wrapped up in his bones, and his ability to carry through all problems flows down the lines of his body.

He seems to know every patient's middle name and their favorite flavor of ice cream and what their grandmother was doing when Kennedy was shot.

Not that Logan knows this, because he hasn't been watching him. That would be creepy.

He's also extremely unaware of the fact that Julian has a fantastic ass, because he most certainly did not pass Julian by at the exact moment he was giving his white doctor's coat to a child who was cold while a nurse ran for blankets.

Julian's just a doctor, after all.

A very…interesting…doctor.

…

The weeks pass.

…

Julian knows he's in love when he hears him sing for the first time.

It's during one of those corny get-togethers they have for patients recovering in the wing opposite the intensive-care unit, an assembly where someone cracks out the country music and little old ladies get to dance with young men who look like their grandsons.

He approaches the gathering in the middle of a rendition of "Drops of Jupiter" – Logan has found his way to a piano and is sharing the bench with an elderly man who is peering at the music through his glasses. The piano's out of tune, the keys clunking clumsily under Logan's fingers, but his skill is undeniable, and the smile on his face is stretched wide as he gets those who know the lyrics to join him on the chorus.

_Tell me_

_Did you sail across the sun__?_

_Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded_

_And that heaven is overrated__?_

_Tell me_

_Did you fall for a shooting star_

_One without a permanent scar_

_And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there__?_

As he sings, Julian falls in love the way you wake up; all at once, and then very, very slowly.

…

"Open."

"Ahhhhh."

Against his will, the corner of Julian's lips twitch up. He smacks Logan on the wrist with the wooden tongue depressor for making such an obnoxiously childlike noise, and Logan grins. Julian rolls his eyes.

"Everything looks good, as usual. You won't have to get checked again for a while." Logan's eyes follow him as he crosses the room and leans over to scribble on his sheet. "I do think you should head over – " He pauses, blinks, and looks at the door.

"What?"

The second Logan asks it he hears the noise coming from the hall.

" – seen…ever…bility, okay?"

The voice is suspiciously familiar, but before Logan can name the culprit the door swings open and all he can see is blue.

"Derek…you're squishing me…"

"Shut up," Derek says roughly, squeezing harder, the dark blue of his shirt wrinkling.

"I can't – _breathe_."

With a huff, Derek pulls back. He holds Logan at arm's length and seems to survey him. "You look better than I would have expected," he says quietly.

Logan raises an eyebrow. "Gee, it's nice to see you too, buddy."

Derek just closes his eyes, shakes his head rapidly, and pulls Logan back against his chest to attempt manslaughter once more.

"If you died I would have murdered you, you know that?"

"You do realize – "

"Shut up."

Logan smiles and brings his hands up to Derek's back slowly. "Thanks for coming, D."

Derek nods and pulls away, arms dropping to his sides as he exhales deeply. There's a beat, and then he seems to become aware of Julian, who has developed an intense interest in the corner of the ceiling.

Derek clears his throat. "Ah, sorry."

Julian looks down and smiles. "No problem. I'm Logan's doctor, by the way – Julian Larson."

"Well, thanks for taking care of my man Logan here." He claps a heavy hand down on Logan's shoulder and the blond rolls his eyes. Julian smiles.

"Not at all."

"So is he ready to leave now, doc?"

"If he wants to, yes." They both look at Logan.

"That…would probably be a good idea…" Logan says slowly. He turns to look at Julian slowly.

Julian has a strange sort of hybrid expression on his face that Logan can't dissect. He's not really looking at anything in particular, but he's clutching the clipboard to his chest.

He looks ill, to be honest.

"Julian…" Logan begins. Julian's gaze snaps up to him. "Could I…" _Could I have your number?_ he wants to ask, but before he can complete the question, Derek, quite obviously not paying any attention to their nonversation, turns to Logan from where he'd been studying a diagram of a vagina and cuts in with "Hey Logan – where's Ben?"

Logan blinks. "Who?" he asks, mildly irritated.

Derek glances at Julian and back at Logan. "What do you mean, 'who'? _Ben_."

Logan sighs. "Derek, I don't know who Ben is."

Derek stares at him, and then stares some more.

"I'm not going to turn to stone, D."

The athlete doesn't even crack a grin. He shoves a hand through his hair, leaving it spiky on top, and glances between the two men as if he can't believe their silence. Finally, the hand drops and he gives a soft sigh.

"Logan…Ben is your fiancé."

Everything crashes.

…

"I'm so glad you're okay, Logan." Logan glances over at him.

It's the second or third time he's said it, but that's understandable. Your fiancé gets into a car crash, you're bound to freak out.

Logan smiles as Ben squeezes his hand.

He's a very attractive man, with dark hair and dark eyes, and a tanned complexion. His teeth are very white. It kind of hurts to look at them for too long.

"I'm sorry I don't remember you."

"It's not your fault. I just wish it hadn't been while I was in the one place in the entire world that doesn't have decent cell phone coverage." His eyes, staring out at the road, seem troubled.

"Doing research in Africa, you said?"

Ben smiles softly. "It's pretty much my passion. I guess I have a lot to catch you up on, huh?"

Logan nods, and then realizes Ben isn't looking at him. "I guess so."

"Logan…"

Logan turns his head and Ben takes his hand away to place it on the steering wheel. "Our…the date for our wedding was already set, but I went ahead and canceled everything. I don't want you to feel rushed into anything. I – I can only imagine how frustrating this must be for you."

Logan shrugs. "It's not exactly a cakewalk, but I'll survive."

"Good."

Ben stops the car in the parking lot. For a second he glances at Logan, then he turns away, sighs, and turns back to give him a slight peck on the lips before exiting the vehicle.

Logan stays seated, mulling things over.

It wasn't a bad kiss.

Well, it barely lasted a second, so it didn't have much _time_ to be bad, exactly, but – it didn't feel…_wrong_.

There wasn't a spark. His lips were warm, but…was he supposed to feel something? Should that have warmed the cockles of his heart? Or is that kind of thinking just ridiculous?

He sighs, opens the door, drops onto the ground, and quietly seals the metal shut.

…

_Logan pulls him close, mischief sparkling in his lively green eyes. Benjamin raises one eyebrow, smiling slightly as he looks up. His heart has started to beat faster. Logan is very warm._

_ "Do you want to dance?"_

_ Ben laughs. "There's no music."_

_ Logan tsks at him. "Where's your imagination? You don't need music to dance."_

_ "Please don't tell me we're going to have an a capella wedding."_

_ "Wouldn't dream of it, babe. I know how sensitive you are to anything and everything uncultured."_

_ Ben pinches him in disapproval and Logan laughs, hands moving to the small of his back to pull him closer. "I'm not _that _anal," he mutters half-heartedly, and Logan smiles._

_ "I wouldn't have you any other way." He bops his nose and graces it with a small kiss when Ben smiles too._

_ Ben closes his eyes. "So you've said."_

_ Logan brushes back some of his hair and places a hand on his warm cheek. Ben's hand goes up to circle his wrist, holding on as Logan leans their foreheads together._

_ "I love you," he says, his eyes closed, and Benjamin's heart skips a painful beat._

_ "I know."_

* * *

"Lo?"

Logan looks up, dark reading glasses perched on the end of his nose. "Mm?" Ben sits beside him quietly and, after a moment of hesitation, puts a warm hand on top of his own. Logan squeezes; it seems like the right thing to do.

"Have you…remembered anything?"

Logan smiles apologetically. "Sorry – nothing about you. A few instances of Derek being his usual idiotic self, though."

Ben's mouth twitches feebly into a half smile, because he knows that's what he should do. "Okay. Well…maybe later, yeah?"

"I hope so."

They're both silent for a moment.

"But you – you haven't had trouble remembering things that have happened since – since the accident…right?"

Logan smiles. "No. The hospital was very vigilant about that."

Ben smiles. "I'm glad you were in good hands."

"Yeah, my doctor really knew his stuff. He – " Logan breaks off, his eyes widening all of a sudden. "Oh."

Ben becomes alert. "What?"

"I think…I think I remember you."

Ben goes still.

"I…I don't know if it was a dream or not, though, I – damn it." Ben stays very still as Logan presses one hand to his forehead in frustration, squeezing Ben's with his free one. "I remember…yeah, I think it was a dream…and…I was watching you – sing? Or something. And all I could see was you just smiling and smiling and all I could think about was how much I cared about you, and I just…everything felt _okay_, for once. I wanted to keep you that way forever."

There's a moment of silence, and then Logan turns to Ben, who is unmoving on the couch. "You sing, right?"

Ben's vocal chords were damaged in an accident when he was eight; he hasn't sung since. He clears his throat. "Yeah." His smile is weak. "I sing."

Logan squeezes his hand and Ben gets up to wander into the kitchen. As he leaves, Logan focuses on his dark hair, and all the thoughts of brunets come lulling over him, dreams of brunets learning to play guitar, of brunets singing and making coffee…of a brunet taking care of him.

His brow furrows, pain shaking through him like a caffeine headache, swirling toward his temples and receding as he thinks of dark eyes and downcast faces.

…it was Ben, wasn't it?

…

(Hint: it's not.)

…

As Julian pushes the door open, all he can notice is that the plastic is very smooth beneath his palm, and the artificial smell of chemicals has never been so overwhelming.

Logan's head lifts suddenly and reflexively at the sound of the door opening. It takes him a second, but once Julian sees the strands of tousled blond hair he ceases to move and just stares. He would have expected his mind to be racing, but instead there's just a slow eerie thrumming in his ears. His gaze on Logan's eyes is slightly disorientated. After a moment he lets out a soft sigh.

"I wasn't expecting to see you again."

Logan looks down at the bag he was packing and slowly drops a keychain into the black interior. "I've been officially released," he answers softly. "I was just gathering up some things I forgot."

Julian nods. His gaze is unfocused, and Logan yearns to read his expression –

But he can't. Because as it turns out, he doesn't know Julian as well as he wants to.

"Julian…"

The doctor lifts his head, and his soft brown eyes focus on Logan hopelessly.

Logan hesitates; then, he drops the strings that were loosely curled around his fingers so he can start forward, eyes intent on Julian's face.

Julian takes a step back, arms wrapped around his clipboard self-protectively. Logan stops.

"Jules…"

Julian shifts slightly at the nickname. Logan finds himself surprised that there's no pen behind his ear, but the emotion is replaced almost immediately by an intense desire to pull Julian close and press a gentle kiss to the space above his ear.

"Can we talk? About…us?"

Julian's gaze drops. He stops trying to strangle his clipboard. "I don't think there's much of an 'us' to talk about, Logan."

Logan gives a sigh that shudders slightly, running a hand through his hair. Presently, Julian's gaze orbits back to him.

"That's kind of what I wanted to talk about."

"You're engaged."

Logan looks at him. The brunet's eyes are very sure, but he can read nothing else.

"To a stranger."

"You asked him to marry you."

"I don't love him."

"It doesn't matter."

Logan stares at him. As he takes one step forward, Julian takes one step back.

"How can you say that?"

"I – I didn't mean it like that." Julian pauses, sighs, and looks at the ground. "I meant…how you think you feel doesn't matter. You love him – you just can't feel it yet. So whatever else you may think you feel is irrelevant. It just…doesn't matter."

Logan has started forward; his fingers trail over the counter that wraps around the walls like intestines. He walks slowly.

"So you're saying," he says slowly, eyes intent on Julian's face, "that the fact that I'm in love with someone else doesn't matter?"

Julian doesn't look up. "Don't," he says.

"You're saying I should just throw away the someone else I want to be with and pretend like it's him I want to hold in my arms instead?"

"Stop," says Julian. His eyes flicker up to kiss green. The door is several feet behind him, but he doesn't back up. "Please stop."

"I'm supposed to pretend," Logan continues, completely disregarding Julian's request, "that _he's_ the most beautiful person I've ever seen?"

Julian's eyes fill with tears.

Logan's warm hands catch onto the sides of his face (Julian knew they were large; he never expected them to be so gentle). His thumbs run up behind Julian's ears, kissing the skin.

"You're saying this doesn't matter?" The pad of one thumb goes out to catch a tear that's just begun to fall; Logan holds it to his lips to let it fall across his skin in a salty kiss, squeezing his own eyes shut for a moment. He feels like his heart is breaking. "Or this?" He leans forward and plants a warm kiss to Julian's forehead, pulling back with reluctance a moment later. Finally, his hands go down to catch Julian's and he holds them to his chest, folded tightly with his. He moves closer, and now there's no space between them, just heart and hand and heart.

"…or this?"

A tear slips down Julian's cheek very suddenly and he starts, pulling his hands from Logan's touch and stepping back.

"No. It doesn't matter." Seeing Logan's incredulous expression – and perhaps imagining the amazed, angry words that might follow it – Julian cuts him off. "It doesn't matter in the way none of your past boyfriends matter. They helped shape you, sure, but they're not going to be the ones helping you change your sheets when you're ninety and lose bladder control."

"Julian, you're trying to decide my life for me."

"Logan – " Julian stops, fingers pressed to his forehead in frustration. Eventually he sighs and opens his eyes. "We're not Romeo and Juliet, okay? We're not being forced apart by a malevolent outside force."

"What – " Logan starts, but Julian cuts him off, anticipating the reaction.

"Imagine you'd forgotten your mother along with your fiancé. That doesn't mean anything, right? You'd still love her, even though she'd be a stranger. You'd love her just as much as you love him. Because you do love him, Logan."

"I love _you_."

Julian shuts down. "It's not that I don't care, Logan – " He backs away, and the fingers of one hand brush against the bumpy hospital room wall.

"But I can't breathe when I'm with you."

He shuts the door behind him.

…

"I knew it, you know."

"What?"

"I could sense it. I mean, not before I told you about Ben, but – after. Just…your face, and…and his."

"…"

"He looked like death warmed over."

"You think he loves me?"

"I think he's sitting at home with a pint of Ben & Jerry's right now."

"Derek…what should I do?"

"Hell if I know, dude. I've never woken up with amnesia and fallen in love with a guy who wasn't my fiancé."

"How did you know I love him?"

"Because…when I told you about Ben, you didn't just look like your heart was being torn apart."

_You looked like the world was breaking._

…

Logan opens the door to see Ben sitting on the edge of his bed; he looks up and gives a tired smile when his fiancé comes in.

"Hey. I'm glad you're here." Logan says nothing, just shuts the door behind him. "I want to talk to you."

Logan takes a few steps forward and stops awkwardly in the middle of the room. Ben looks down at his hands, then back up at Logan. He takes a huge breath.

"I'm calling it off."

"The wedding?"

Ben nods.

"The engagement?"

Ben nods. Logan feels his brow furrow.

"Why?"

"Because I don't think you're in love with me. And I do think you're in love with someone else." Logan says nothing. "I mean, I don't think this will be easy, because I still love you – _God_, I love you, Logan – but you deserve to be happy, right?"

Logan doesn't say anything. (For some reason, his mind keeps on going back to his father.)

"So…so that's it, then," Ben concludes. He looks up, startled, when Logan appears right in front of him. Giving his ex no time to respond, Logan pulls him up and gives him a tight hug. "Thank you," he whispers into his ear. Ben represses a shiver and gives a little nod, hesitating before darting in to place a kiss against Logan's cheek. He steps back, looking at the floor. His hand goes out to swipe at his eye.

"Oh, and – you can keep the ring. I…I want you to have it."

…

"He broke up with me."

Julian jumps, startled, and his eyes shoot straight to Logan standing in the darkened doorway, one hand still on the door.

"What?"

Logan shuts the door.

"Ben broke up with me."

Before Julian can make a sound, Logan takes two long strides forward and catches his face resolutely with warm, calloused hands. "Please, _please_ tell me I can kiss you," he whispers, and Julian swears his heart starts flowing like a waterfall. "Please?"

Julian glances around him, blinking away tears rapidly and trying so hard to ignore the way Logan's hands seem to be sending warmth into his veins.

"I – I can't."

"Fine," Logan says, one thumb dropping to sweep along Julian's cheekbone. "Then tell me to stop."

Julian jerks back to his face, eyes widening as he sees Logan lean in. One hand has gone behind the doctor's ear, the thumb stroking his hair softly as his eyes drop to Julian's lips.

"Tell me to stop." The words send a whisper of warm breath down Julian's neck, and he stiffens.

"I can't."

Logan presses their warm lips together.

* * *

An explosion of color hits Julian's chest and he gasps as a wave of nausea hits the pit of his stomach, replaced almost instantly by an encompassing, nervous thrumming. He makes absolutely no movement as Logan kisses him, but his lips fall open easily as the blond parts them and slips inside.

Julian pulls away for a second, unsure of what he wants to say, and Logan darts back in almost desperately, chasing his tongue.

Julian squeezes his eyes shut and sinks against the cotton of the shirt in front of him, grasping onto it with both hands as he kisses Logan back.

Logan runs his hands through Julian's hair, drops one to caress his neck, still carding through those brown strands, carding, carding –

Julian breaks away from the kiss, gasping. "Logan, I – " His hands loosen around Logan's grey shirt, unsure if they should continue to hold on to him or not.

"_What_, Julian?" Logan asks, slightly desperate as his eyes sweep over Julian's downcast gaze.

The brunet lets out a shaky breath and pulls away abruptly, shaking his head.

"No, I can't. It's too soon, I can't – "

Logan grabs hold of him. "Can't what?"

"No, I – it's too much too fast – you've just had a head injury, and – and lost your fiancé – "

"Are you sick, Julian?"

"What? No, i – it's not that; I – " He looks down at the ground, takes and releases a huge breath, and looks back up at Logan. His gaze is calculating. "Can I show you something?"

Logan smiles. "Anything."

…

"This is your apartment?"

"Yeah. I – yeah." Julian slides his key into the lock and jerks it to the side, fingers shaking slightly. Before Logan can put his hand over them to comfort him, Julian's jerked the key back into his hand and hidden it in his pocket.

The apartment is beautiful. The wooden floors shine and a few carefully-attended plants bloom near the living room. There is, thankfully, no modern art to be found.

Logan turns to see Julian giving him an apprehensive look. As soon as he catches his eye Julian sighs, seems to prepare himself for something, and turns toward the living room.

"Matt? Honey? Can you come here for a moment? There's someone I want you to meet."

Logan raises an eyebrow. "Got a guy in there, Julian?"

The brunet gives him a watery smile. "Something like that."

He turns at the sound of little footsteps pitter-pattering toward them, and a young child comes into view.

"Daddy!"

Julian's face breaks into a huge grin and he kneels down as the kid comes running toward him. "Hey there, tiger!" Matt throws his hands around Julian's neck as he's hoisted into the air, laughing as Julian twirls him around. Julian turns to Logan with the boy in his arms and gives him a nervous smile. "Logan, this is my son – Matt."

Before Logan can say anything, Matt sticks out his hand. "Hello," he says.

Logan smiles and takes his little hand to shake it. "Hello."

"Julian's my daddy," Matt says. "I don't have a mommy; she died two and a half years ago. It was very sad. Daddy cried a lot. I tell that to all the grown-ups who come over here so they know it's all right to take Daddy out on dates and hold his hand and buy him flowers, because he likes that. Are you going to be my new papa?"

Julian turns beet red. "OhmyGodMattyoucan'tjustaskpeopleifthey'regoingtobeyournewpapa."

Matt frowns. "Why not?"

Julian ignores him and turns to Logan, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry – he's never asked anyone that before."

"That's because you never looked at anyone the way you look at Mr. Logan," Matt says factually. "Except me. But I don't think that's the same kind of look."

Logan smiles at him. "You're very smart."

"I'm five-and-a-quarter years old. Daddy says I'm precious," he responds, nodding wisely.

"Precocious," Julian corrects with a smile.

"Right. That's what I said. Do you wanna play chess with me, Mr. Logan?"

Logan blinks. "You want to play chess with me?"

"Or we could play Scrabble. That's probably gooder."

"Better," says Julian as the child attempts to wiggle his way out of his arms.

"No," says Matt, squirming. "Gooder. 'Better' makes no sense, because if it starts out with 'good,' it sound end with 'goodest' and have 'gooder' in-between. Otherwise it confuses people who are learning English, and it's important to simplify this particular language since it's so international and so many people need to learn how to speak it, because otherwise you get misunderstandings and misunderstandings lead to wars, and I never lived through one but from what I've heard they're not fun. Daddy, put me down!"

Julian's grin broadens and he sets the child down on his feet. Matt runs into the living room, calling "Stay there – I'll be right back!" over his shoulder as he disappears.

Julian's smile quiets and nearly slips off his face as he turns to face Logan, still slightly apprehensive.

He doesn't have to worry: he could not be surer of Logan's smile.

They don't even have to say anything; it's like everything slots into place, the perfect ending to every corny movie they've ever watched.

"Okay, I found the – why are you guys looking at each other like that? You're not going to have sex, are you? Oh God, please don't have sex in the apartment. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SEX, AREN'T YOU. OH MY GOD YOU ARE LALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU."

"Matt – "

"LALALALA I'LL BE IN THE STUDY OKAY OKAY BYE COME BACK WHEN YOU HAVE CLOTHES ON."

…maybe not _every_ movie.


End file.
